Senior Member

There's not much difference between a 270 and a 30 ought 6 in the recoil department. I would assume to 280 fits right in there also. There's a pretty noticeable drop off when you get to the 264 caliber loads unless you are talking about some of the hot rods

Senior Member

On deer size and even larger game the 264's will be MORE THAN AMPLE at distances longer than most of us will ever shoot in this part of the country and out west the 6.5 CM's / 260's with the right load and bullet are doing some serious long range devastation. Unless I was chasing something that was capable of eating an ELK I'd stick with a 6.5 of some variety, just no need to punish your shoulder anymore with the 270's / 30-06's / 7 Mags. Fine calibers no doubt but just no need if in the market for a new rifle these days. Not necessary but you could always HOT ROD it up to the 6.5-284 Norma but the shoulder would suffer a bit more.

Senior Member

I really like my Tikka chambered in 6.5x55 (Swede) Every deer I've shot dropped. When I bought it, I figured that if it will take a moose in Scandinavia then a Georgia whitetail shouldn't be a problem.

Senior Member

May have already been mentioned, but I love my 270wsm. Serious recoil, but I fixed that with a Limbsaver recoil pad.
For years I hunted with a 308 & still really like that caliber. 308 is what my son has grown up on.

Senior Member

If you can handle turkey shot, you can handle about any rifle cartridge. 3" magnum turkey load is around 70 ft*lbs of recoil. It just isn't any fun developing turkey loads in a shotgun. I use a lead sled.

There are calculators online for recoil. You need to know the gun weight, bullet weight, powder weight and velocity of the bullet for the calculation.

If you are using factory ammo, you can take a reasonable guess at the powder weight by looking at the typical powder weight for a given cartridge that can be found on the powder manufacturers reloading webpages. A few grains of powder weight either way doesn't make a big difference in recoil.

If you load a 300 win mag with the same velocity as a 30-06 and use the same bullet and weight gun, the 300 win mag will recoil more because it requires more gun powder.

Senior Member

To reduce recoil and muzzle blast, I have loaded rounds for my Encore pistol in rifle calibers with the fastest burning powder which requires less powder. You may lose some velocity, but you can reduce the blast and recoil for sure. The recoil calculator proves the physics behind it.

I went with a Mark V Arroyo, 6.5-300wby running the 127gr TTSX. I used Warne Mountain tech rail An rings. Went with a Nikon black X 1000 4x16-50 illuminated. I sighted it in 2ins high An was super impressed. During the Rut I had a buck cross a clearing called the shot 250yds dialed up to 11x held solid an let it rip. I found first speck of blood at 319yds where it was standing. I feel I wouldn’t have made that shot with any of rifles deer was moving quick paused long enough for me to take the shot. It absolutely hammered him.

Senior Member

Exactly the set up saved me, worked out! I have the 6.5-300 with an over 300yd zero. An it worked like a charm, I knew it was out there but didn’t think it was over 300. It 10ringed him, most my other rifles would’ve been in the dirt under him. But I set this one up for 500yds or less.

Senior Member

I went with a Mark V Arroyo, 6.5-300wby running the 127gr TTSX. I used Warne Mountain tech rail An rings. Went with a Nikon black X 1000 4x16-50 illuminated. I sighted it in 2ins high An was super impressed. During the Rut I had a buck cross a clearing called the shot 250yds dialed up to 11x held solid an let it rip. I found first speck of blood at 319yds where it was standing. I feel I wouldn’t have made that shot with any of rifles deer was moving quick paused long enough for me to take the shot. It absolutely hammered him.

That’s awesome!
Recently I have started to sight in most of my rifles for MPBR, that way, I don’t have to compensate for distance, as long as I keep it within the effective distance. Sounds like that’s what saved you on this deer!

Ironically, like I said in another post, most of my longest shots, I’ve done with 30-06, because that’s what I carry the most. I need to take my .257 Weatherby Mangnum more often. Ha

Top Chef

I went with a Mark V Arroyo, 6.5-300wby running the 127gr TTSX. I used Warne Mountain tech rail An rings. Went with a Nikon black X 1000 4x16-50 illuminated. I sighted it in 2ins high An was super impressed. During the Rut I had a buck cross a clearing called the shot 250yds dialed up to 11x held solid an let it rip. I found first speck of blood at 319yds where it was standing. I feel I wouldn’t have made that shot with any of rifles deer was moving quick paused long enough for me to take the shot. It absolutely hammered him.

One year in with new no issues it’s clear an crisp. Has held zero great, I got it at a killer deal from Franklins cost sale. Holds light great reticle has light settings where you can dim it the darker it gets. So far so good,